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RNR Celebrates 20th Annual Franchise Conference

RNR Tire Express President Adam Sutton addresses hundreds of participants at the company’s 20th Annual Franchise Conference.

APRO member and rent-to-own industry leader RNR Tire Express recently held its 20th Annual Franchise Conference at the Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld in Orlando, Florida. The “DX3 2023” theme for this year’s event represented RNR’s commitment to being “driven times three core values” – its culture, its customers, and its communities.

With a record turnout of nearly 300 attendees, the conference surpassed last year’s event and necessitated a switch from its prior location in Tampa, Florida.

“There is just something really special about bringing all of our amazing franchisees into one place every year,” says RNR President and APRO 1st Vice President Adam Sutton. “The energy, brainpower, and ideas never cease to amaze us and help strengthen our company as we strive to work together to better our culture, customer experience, and community impact.”

The event kicked off with a welcome reception, followed by two days of connection, education, and fun, with a networking breakfast, a lunch featuring franchisee testimonials, and an open forum. The exhibit hall gave attendees the opportunity to experience the latest industry offerings and even get free professional headshots. RNR also filmed live testimonials, providing a platform for franchisees to explore their experiences, as well as how they are changing lives and serving communities.

Conference attendees also had the chance to network with each other and learn from special presenters, such as keynote speaker Dave Murray of the DiJulius Group, Jaime Kent of the No More Foundation, and representatives from Google. Additionally, the event also featured a selection of informative sessions, from “The Future of Analytics: Leveraging Automation” to “Creating a Strategic Social Media Plan” and “Creating Relational vs. Transactional Customer Experiences.”

Dr. Robert Behar (center), and his VP of Operations Scott Robertson (far right) celebrate receiving the Franchise of the Year Award from (L to R) Vince Ficarrotta, Adam Sutton, and Larry Sutton.
Tony Raffo (2nd from left) received the first RNR Lifetime Achievement Award from (L to R) Adam Sutton, CEO Larry Sutton, and VP of Franchising Vince Ficarrotta.

The finale of the conference was the awards ceremony recognizing top-performing franchisees. The first-ever RNR Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Tony Raffo of Rims USA LLC dba RNR Tire Express, while Dr. Robert Behar with Summit Capital Partners Automotive Services LP was honored as the Franchise of the Year.

With the DX3 2023 theme embodying RNR’s continuing commitment to its core values, the company’s 20th Annual Franchise Conference was a resounding success, laying the groundwork for many more decades of the same.

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Mike Lewis

Central Properties dba Premier Rental-Purchase

Mike Lewis is a Premier Rental Purchase franchisee with multiple stores and currently serves as Vice President of Operations. With 33 years of experience in the rent-to-own industry, he has spent the past 20 years working closely with franchisee owners and previously spent 12 years in Corporate RTO, gaining a strong foundation in the business.

For the past five years, Mike has been sharing his knowledge by teaching managers and franchisees at the company’s Training Center.

Outside of work, he enjoys time with his family, kids, and grandkids, and appreciates the simple things in life – especially riding his Harley Davidson with the sun on his face. If you know, you know!

Lauren Talicska

Arona Corporation dba Arona Home Essentials

Lauren Talicska is an experienced multi-channel marketing specialist and the Vice President of Marketing & Communications at Arona Home Essentials. She has found her home in the RTO community, supporting stores in branding, growth, and increasing traffic.

You may recognize Lauren as a former RTO vendor, including her time as a partner for Nationwide RentDirect, or her previous participation in the APRO Vendor Advisory Committee. Lauren calls Columbus, Ohio, home and spends her workday crafting and executing marketing promotions from inception to realization, all while supporting the branding and social media needs of all the Arona stores in 12 states (plus Puerto Rico!).

Charles Smitherman

APRO

Charles Smitherman, JD, PhD, CAE, became CEO of APRO in 2023, bringing years of legal and executive experience in the rent-to-own industry. 

Prior to joining the association, Charles served as COO, General Counsel, and Vice President of PTS Financial Services, where he played an active role in the rent-to-own industry by representing his company through PTS’s club program offering with APRO member dealers. Charles is an attorney with two decades of experience across a wide variety of areas, including RTO, consumer financial services, antitrust, corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, litigation, franchise law, and privacy law. Following law school at the University of Georgia, Charles earned a Master of Legal Studies and PhD in Law from the University of Oxford in England.

Charles is credentialed as a Certified Association Executive (CAE) with the American Society of Association Executives, a Certified Franchise Executive (CFE) with the International Franchise Association, and a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/US) and Certified Information Privacy Manager (CIPM) through the International Association of Privacy Professionals. As APRO’s sixth CEO in its 45-year history, he brings a collaborative, member-focused approach to association leadership, emphasizing transparency, advocacy, and value creation. Outside of work, Charles is an active ultra runner and open water swimmer.

Mike Kays

Ashley Furniture Industries

As VP of Rental Sales for Ashley Furniture Industries, Mike thrives on building relationships with our RTO industry veterans, and helping businesses grow through new product, new marketing, and new supply chain options.

Mike works to leverage a wide breadth of relationships and influence, intimate knowledge of market trends, and unique knowledge of what RTO dealers need from a supplier to be successful.

The saying goes that a high tide raises all boats, and our goal is to leverage the world’s largest furniture manufacturer to drive the continued growth of the RTO industry and all the suppliers.

Mike Tissot

Countryside Rentals Inc., dba Rent-2-Own

Mike grew up in the rent-to-own industry under the guidance of his father, former APRO President and RTO legend Darrell Tissot. For nearly 25 years, Mike’s innovative leadership has helped expand the family business to more than 40 stores across Ohio and Kentucky while also shaping the industry as a whole.

He has served as President of the Ohio Rental Dealers Association, an APRO board member and Treasurer, and President and Treasurer of the TRIB Group. His contributions have earned him the APRO President’s Award of Excellence and the title of APRO Rental Dealer of the Year.

Outside of RTO, Mike enjoys time at the lake house or in Orange Beach, Alabama, with his girlfriend, Angela Strong McCool. A passionate Cincinnati Reds fan, he rarely misses a game, whether watching or listening alongside his parents. He also takes every opportunity to visit Arizona, where his daughter is currently attending Arizona State University.